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Intro: |
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| Spreader: A hand-cranked device that distributes fertilizer or seed Compost: Dried manure used as a soil additive Fan rake: A lightweight rake used to rake leaves and grass Electric leaf blower: A portable blower that "rakes" leaves and runs on electricity. An electric leaf blower is friendlier to the environment than a gas-operated one, which creates a great deal of exhaust. |
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You want the richest soil possible for germinating seeds and existing grass. To enrich your soil: Fertilize. If you're reseeding the entire lawn, you don't need to fertilize now, because it will be gone by the time the grass germinates and can use it. To nurture existing grass, use a light fertilizer (you'll be fertilizing the lawn again in three weeks, when the new grass can also benefit from it). Spread it with a broadcast spreader, which will apply it more evenly over a broader area than a drop spreader, which simply drops the fertilizer as you walk along. (Step 4 explains how to use a spreader.) Compost. Some experts recommend composting before reseeding. If you don't compost, you'll need to break up the soil to plant the seed (see the following section, "If you didn't compost"). Spreading compost is easy, it enriches your soil, and it's soft enough that watering alone will push the seeds down into the soil. You'll need enough to cover the lawn with a 1/2-inch (1.25-centimeter) layer. Give the square footage of your lawn to a compost dealer, which should be listed in the phone book under topsoil, and he or she will recommend the right amount. To calculate square footage, multiply length by width. To distribute the compost, load it into a wheelbarrow and pile it around the lawn in four or five strategic spots. It's OK to spread compost over established grass. Rake the compost out from these piles until the whole lawn is lightly covered. Note: Don't cover the lawn any deeper than 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters). Too much compost can ruin it the same way too much fertilizer can. You can help the remaining grass break through the compost by distributing it further with a fan rake. This will also help the compost settle closer to the soil. If you have an electric leaf blower, it can help blow the compost down closer to the soil and even it out. If you didn't compost, break up the soil. Take a spade and chop the soil 2 inches (5 centimeters) deep, leaving clods the size of golf balls or marbles. You may prefer this method if you already have good soil and you're only reseeding a few brown spots.
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Fertilize and compost
